Pan Asian – An Island of Flavors!

Thai food remains one of the most celebrated cuisines in the world today. Given its simplicity yet complex flavor, it has successfully created a niche among gastrosexuals even in Delhi, a city that boasts of its Mughlai cuisine. However, there are many occasions for people of the city to celebrate the essence of this wonderful cuisine. However, the recently concluded Sawadika Thai Food festival organized at the Pan Asian restaurant in ITC Welcome Sheraton in Saket was outstanding. The talented team of chefs led by Chef Vaibhav Bhargava with association from Chef Som, who is from Thailand, made me sing that Bruce Springsteen song, ‘Is that you or just a brilliant disguise?’

The Delhi heat is cruel. And, it easily rob off the beautiful mood that one develops on its way to Pan Asian. However, as soon as we reached, we were greeted with a brilliant Cucumber Drink that was laced with Kaffir lime leaves. Now, that is how welcome drink should be. The cucumber brings in the coolness in the drink and that whiff of essence from the Kaffir lime leaves takes you right back into the mood for some more food. This is a definite must try especially to beat the brutal summers of Delhi.
We have had the luxury of guidance from Chef Bhargava in choosing our food from the select range of dishes that this unique menu had to offer. The first to enter the stage was this brilliant ‘Mango Avocado Shrimp Salad.’ Now, the best element in this dish was the prawn cracker. There were no prawn to be seen but its flavor dominated the salad which is ingenious. The light salad that was server with the Prawn cracker give that ‘beach’y feel that you tend to go back at it again and again.

The Peanut Butter Corn Cakes were good with all those crunchiness but I really can’t bring in a comparison with the salad. You know there are things that’s good & there are thing that’s good. The salad was the latter. The Lime Chicken that was served along tasted alright with juiciness of the chicken intact & the subtle texture of spices elevating the taste of the chicken.

Chef Bhargava, while allowing us to savor these beautiful delicacies, also gave a milieu to the growing maturity of the customers. Gone are the days when customers would demand some Indian tadka into any cuisine. However with economic prosperity, exposure to multi culture and frequent travels, ensured that they develop that unique flavor of any cuisine. Thai cuisine is no exception as the flavor of fish sauce & pungency of other Thai ingredients. Such development has helped the gastronomical scenario to improve in the city & we can devour some more flavors from Sawadika.
It is often a misconception that anything south east Asian is non-vegetarian. Well, you will be surprised to know the depth & variety that Thai cuisine offers in vegetarian options, thanks to the tropical weather that allows various fruits and vegetables available. For example, the Thai Pomelo Salad is an absolute ace & a winner of this Thai street food festival. The freshness of Pomelo is omnipresent only complemented by nuttiness of peanuts and to be surprised by sudden spurts of hotness from the freshly chopped chilies.
When Chef Som suggested us to go ahead with the Pineapple Fried Rice, my amateur cook’s mind imagined dices of pineapples tossed into a bowl of rice stir fried with other stuff. To my surprise, this was a dish whose service was quite dramatic. Chef Som described how a whole pineapple is scooped out of its critical part to be used in the dish and the skull becoming serving tray. Now, that looks bloody impressive. The Thai Roasted Chili Prawn was eloquently delicious with the fried rice. The sweetness of the rice and sharpness of the prawn gave a nice balance and kick that is a signature of a good main course. This was beautifully achieve when they served the two together.
I had tried the Mango Sushi almost a year ago when Chef Bhargava shared this with us for the first time. I still relish this beautiful piece of sushi as my best sushi that I have tried so far. Fresh, elegant and innovative, this is one of the best that I have had. And, let me remind you, that it is completely vegetarian. Whenever you go to Pan Asian, please don’t forget to order this wonderful creation of Chef Bhargava.

It is surprising but I don’t have a top of the mind name for an Oriental dessert. However, the Mango & Coconut Sticky rice did the trick for me. It remained one of the most common yet delicious dishes that I have had. A definite try for someone who loves freshness & is new to the Oriental desserts.

Food is always savoured best with friends. Chef Bhargava was not only offered us tips & knowledge about various aspects of the food business but his warm friendship and hospitality is the most invaluable aspect of this beautiful evening at this elegant ITC Welcome Sheraton in Saket.

Chef Vaibhav Bhargava

You can actually look forward to Chef Bhargava’s recently launched ‘Meal in a Bowl’ is an exciting proposition. For more such Thai street food festival, stay tuned!